CO Legislators Call for Dismissals in the Boulder High Assembly Controversy

The controversy continues in Boulder, CO over the Conference of World Affairs mandatory assembly at Boulder High School, at which speakers promoted sexual activity and drug use to students as young as 14.

According to WorldNetDaily, a number of parents as well as all of the Republican State Senators on the Senate Education Committee have called for the dismissal of Boulder Valley School District Superintendent George Garcia and Boulder High principal Bud Jenkins.

The senators' letter to the BVSD board called the CWA assembly a "disgrace":

"The minors who sat through this dubious discussion were subjected to the most dangerous kind of input any youth could get from a presumed authority figure: a green light to engage in destructive behavior."

Helayne Jones, president of the BVSD board read a prepared statement at the most recent board meeting saying that unspecified "actions" were taken on the complaints generated by the CWA assembly and that several BHS staff members have been verbally reprimanded. However, the statement emphasized that no dismissals are contemplated over the assembly.

BHS parent Priscilla White, who made the original complaint to the BVSD board, considers this a slap on the wrist and has called for Ms. Jones' replacement as well as Garcia's immediate dismissal.

The CO legislators also noted that the Democratically-controlled legislature voted to abandon abstinence-only sex ed and mandate so-called "comprehensive" sex ed, while at the same time refusing to adopt a bill that would set state standards for math & science knowledge. Says Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita:

"Instead of giving more Colorado high school grads a shot at succeeding in college or the job market, House Democrats decided that kids needed to know even more about contraception. As we could see in Boulder, kids are already getting plenty of indoctrination on sex."

If parents wish to teach their children about contraception, they have the opportunity to do so at home or if they are too embarrassed to broach the subject, there are workshops held by Planned Parenthood and the like. I don't personally think it's a good idea to promote contraception to teenagers when 50% of all unplanned pregnancies are the result of contraception failure and teenagers have the highest contraception failure rate of all age groups. However, I fully support the right of parents to teach their own children in accordance with their personal beliefs on the matter.